The Kingdom of ancient Sulu lies in the Sulu
Islands between Kalimantan Island and the Philippines. The kings of west and
east Sulu visited China in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), followed by
340 envoys, and received a warm welcome from the Ming government. The king of
the east died in Dezhou on the way back and was buried there. His eldest son
returned to Sulu soon after and took the throne. The deceased king's wife, his
second son, third son and servants stayed behind in China to mourn over him. The
queen returned to Sulu in 1423; her two sons and other servants remained, and
were buried to the east of the king's tomb.
The tomb yard, which is filled with pine
trees, is located one kilometer north of Dezhou City. The coffin chamber is
situated at the center with the tomb tablet in front. Both sides of the
passageway are lined with stone animals. Since the Ming and Qing (1644-1911)
Dynasties, many tourists have visited the sight to pay their respects to the
friendly king of the Philippines.